


cones and spoons

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, POV First Person, POV Minor Character, doesn't always stay in tales chat, what happens in xmentales chat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-27
Updated: 2013-02-27
Packaged: 2017-12-03 18:26:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/701281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kitty Pryde had some ideas about Mr. Erik, the ice cream man, and Mr. Charles, the man who monopolizes all of Mr. Erik's time.</p>
<p>Too bad Mr. Erik and Mr. Charles have ideas of their own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	cones and spoons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spicedpiano](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spicedpiano/gifts).



> This was a prompt given the other night in **#xmentales** chat by **spicedpiano**.
> 
> As normal, thanks for **ninemoons42** for the beta.

There was always something funny going on at the ice cream truck. Mom had said it wasn’t normal, but that didn’t make it less funny.

Mr. Erik hated to sit in the closed off space of his truck, always complaining about the cold but never about the money. We all hated that Mr. Erik snapped at us when we took too long to pick something out, but his was the only truck that came to our neighborhood.

So we dealt with him.

But then there was Mr. Charles, the nice man about Mr. Erik’s age, who always stayed by the truck too.

He was actually always the first to the truck and chatted with Mr. Erik while we all waited. Mr. Charles was the worst. Except when he paid for all of our ice cream for the wait.

Then he was the best.

*

Mom said that Mr. Charles was a bad man for buying us all ice cream and said that we should worry about him, but I thought that she was wrong.

Mr. Charles only smiled, and never looked at us like those creepy men on TV. He only had eyes for Mr. Erik.

Come to think of it, that was weirder still.

*

Mr. Charles tapped his foot while we all waited for Mr. Erik’s truck. Mr. Erik was late, and he was never late.

Under his breath, Mr. Charles swore that Mr. Erik was “doing this to spite him and to make up for that bad pass last week”, whatever that meant.

But the minutes passed and Mr. Erik’s truck never arrived.

John, Bobby and Anne-Marie left, saying they’d get something at the 7-11 instead.

Only Mr. Charles stayed with me. We always got ice cream from Mr. Erik.

As the sun set, Mr. Charles huffed out, “Well I guess he’s not coming. Why don’t I walk you home Kitty?”

I wanted to say no because Mom always said strangers were bad, but she also said that I shouldn’t walk home by myself after dark, so we walked.

Mr. Charles wanted to come inside and just as I was opening the door, Mom walked out.

“Where have you been?” she demanded.

“We were waiting for ice cream, I’m afraid,” Mr. Charles said. “The truck didn’t arrive and I thought Kitty should be escorted home.”

“Thank you--” Mom started.

“Charles. Charles Xavier. Pleased to meet you.”

Mom shook his hand and pushed me through the door, talking to Mr. Charles after that.

After dinner, Mom said Mr. Charles was fine. I didn’t need to worry about him.

*

Mr. Erik wasn’t there the next day. Or the day after that.

The others stopped coming, leaving Mr. Charles and me by ourselves.

Mr. Charles always mumbled about Mr. Erik, saying something like "He's a damned fool who didn't get flirting.

I smiled at him each time he said something more loudly. It was easier.

*

Two weeks later, Mr. Erik’s truck arrived right at 2:35. Inside the truck, Mr. Erik looked pale and withdrawn.

Mr. Charles paid more attention to him than normal--no problem with only the two of us--and still bought me ice cream after.

The look on Mr. Charles’ face was scary so after I had my cone, I went home.

*

Mr. Charles wasn't on the street the next day, as he had been doing on other days. But when the truck arrived I saw him sitting in the back. He was passing out the treats in Mr. Erik's place.

“I can do my damned job,” Mr. Erik said as he tried to stand up.

Mr. Charles pushed him back down and whispered something into Mr. Erik’s ear. He stayed where he was and let Mr. Charles take over for him.

*

For the rest of the week Mr. Charles did Mr. Erik’s job.

The next week a man named Mr. Hank came by to say that the truck would be on holiday for a few weeks.

He had a note from Mr. Charles and Mr. Erik.

> Dear children,
> 
> Mr. Erik’s truck will be gone for a few weeks, as he needs to recover from mononucleosis. It will take time, but rest assured he will be back.
> 
> Mr. Charles is going to make sure of that.

I told Mom about the letter and she smiled.

She didn’t say why.


End file.
